English
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency has admitted its failure in preventing the Hamas attack on October 7, acknowledging that it missed several warning signs leading up to the devastating assault. Shin Bet’s chief, Ronen Bar, expressed deep regret, stating that had the agency acted differently in the years leading to the attack, it could have been prevented. Bar took personal responsibility for the failure, which he said would haunt him for the rest of his life.
The internal investigation by Shin Bet revealed that despite being aware of Hamas’ plans for a broad offensive, including two prior warnings in 2018 and 2022, the agency dismissed the threat. They concluded that Hamas was “not interested in escalation” and failed to treat the group’s intentions as an imminent danger.
One of the key factors pointed out in the investigation was Qatar’s financial support to Hamas, which Israel had condoned in hopes of driving a political wedge between Gaza and the West Bank. However, Qatar rejected these accusations, maintaining that all aid sent to Gaza was done with the full knowledge and oversight of Israeli authorities.
The attack, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages, highlighted gaps in Shin Bet’s intelligence operations, particularly in Gaza. The agency criticized the lack of proper human agent recruitment and unclear divisions of responsibility between Shin Bet and the Israeli military.
Shin Bet also laid blame on policies enacted by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, stating that these contributed to the conditions that led to the attack. The agency’s accusations, however, sparked a backlash from Netanyahu’s inner circle, with a senior source accusing Shin Bet of failing to alert the prime minister on the night of the attack.
In response, opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, condemned Netanyahu for avoiding responsibility and criticized his attacks on Shin Bet. They emphasized the lack of leadership and accountability in the aftermath of the tragedy.
